The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog

Never underestimate the power of a good beer.

The most ancient and friendliest drink known to man can also be one of the most versatile in the kitchen. Wine is revered, and rightly so, for its aristocratic character, but beer is the true champion of the people. Ale, nut brown or India pale, lager, bock, porter, stout, pilsner, barleywine, can all provide a wonderful palette for the creative cook.

Hops, yeast, pure water and grains, mainly barley and wheat, sometimes rice or even rye, have been the basic elements that have provided a jumping-off point for the experimentation and the ingenuity of brewers stretching back not for hundreds, but literally for thousands of years. Every culture brings their own sensibility to the basically simple brewing process. The English love malty ales, cloudy bitters and chewy porters; the Germans, thundering bocks and lightning-sharp wheat beers; the Czechs and Scandinavians, pale and sparkling pilsners; the Japanese, the driest and cleanest-tasting lagers. The Irish settled long ago on the roastiest, creamiest stout ever made.

The Belgians have done for beer what Beethoven or the Beatles did for music, in their respective generations; they ran wild with diversity, creativity and a touch of genius. With their lambic beers alone, they have spent the past few centuries marrying flavors as different as cherries, peaches and raspberries with the essentials of beer, with all of its depth and history, fermented with wild yeasts, to achieve what must be one of the highest expression of the brewer’s art.

America, properly, has become the truest melting pot for brewmasters great and small, from the august halls of Anheiser-Busch to the alchemists of Dogfish Head to the impresarios of Anchor Steam and Samuel Adams, to garages and basements all over the country. They will stop at nothing. Once they cumulatively accomplished mastery of all of the styles known to man, they abetted matters by conniving brews featuring pumpkins, currants, pine needles, apricots, licorice and anything else they could get their hands on. Their obsession also includes a simultaneously thrilling and embarrassing competition between two of the most elite breweries in the game (you know who you are) to produce the most drinkable beer with the highest scientifically achievable alcohol content. Have they no shame?!

That’s why I have no choice but to agree with the words of the philosopher: the worst beer I ever had was… fantastic.

Think of the uses of wine in cooking, in sauces and as a medium for braising, then rethink your approach with beer in mind. Reimagine Boeuf Bourguignon with porter or stout as Beef Carbonnade; for Coq au Vin, try substituting a nice, sour Belgian Rodenbach Grand Cru; in pan sauces, try wheat beer and citrus with your shallots instead of Chardonnay and see how it goes. You can use porters, stouts, fruity ales and lambics in desserts, too- don’t limit yourself. Trust yourself and your own cooking instincts. If you recognize a flavor in a beer that you think you can take advantage of in a dish, go after it.

I think that autumn is the best time of year to explore the world of beer and ale. There’s just something in the air. All of Bavaria agrees with me and likes to throw a massive party, pretzels included, called Oktoberfest. Look for one in a big field near you.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” I never argue with Benjamin Franklin.

The best accompaniment for the dish you just cooked is the beer you just cooked with. And the only reliable way to find out if the flavor profile of the beer you are working with is working with the dish you have in mind is to crack a few open and try them. Cheers and Bon Appetit!

photo courtesy of freefoto.com.

Entrée: Seafood

GARLIC MANILA CLAMS IN MÄRZEN BEER
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
6 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 red onions, chopped fine
8 dozen small Manila clams, well-scrubbed
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
½ bunch fresh basil
24 ounces Märzen Oktoberfest style wheat beer
1 to 2 loaves crusty bread for dipping

Method:
Heat the oil in a large stock pot. Gently sauté the garlic and onions until the onions turn translucent, stirring frequently to avoid burning the garlic, about 3 minutes. Place the clams in pot and season them with salt and pepper. Add the fresh basil and pour in the beer. Cover the pot and bring to boil over medium heat, cooking until clams open, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the clams to a platter or large serving bowl, discarding any that do not open. Pour the broth into a serving bowl for dipping with crusty bread.

Appetizer: Salad

BABY GREENS, APPLE-SMOKED CHICKEN & GOUDA/PEPPERJACK SALAD WITH AMBER BOCK DRESSING
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients for candied pecans:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
⅓ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pecans
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Ingredients for salad dressing:
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup Amber Bock beer
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¾ cup canola oil

Ingredients for salad:
1 three-pound Smithfield apple-wood smoked chicken
4 ounces gouda cheese, placed into freezer for 2 hours
4 ounces pepper-jack cheese, placed into freezer for 2 hours
6 cups mixed baby greens, iceberg, and romaine, stems removed and torn into bite-sized pieces and dried in a salad spinner

Method for candied pecans:
Mix corn syrup, sugar, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Heat until candy thermometer says “soft ball stage,” about 238 degrees. Remove from heat and stir in pecans, vanilla, and cinnamon. Turn out on waxed paper and pull walnuts apart while cooling, being very careful to avoid getting burned! Refrigerate until chilled.

Method for salad dressing:
Through the feed tube of a running blended add, one at a time, vinegar, beer, salt, pepper, and thyme, and leaving the blender running, add the oil in a slow thin stream to emulsify. Set aside until needed.

Method for salad ingredients:
Pull chicken away from bones, and cut into thin strips. Set aside until needed.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel several curls of cheese for garnish and then use a box grater to shred the rest of the cheese. In a mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, greens, grated cheese and walnuts with enough dressing to coat.

Presentation:
Transfer the salad to salad bowls and garnish with curls of cheese. Serve additional dressing on the side.

Entrée: Beef/Pork

TOBACCO ONION BANGERS AND CHEDDAR MASH WITH GUINNESS ESSENCE
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients for bangers and Guinness essence:
1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
2 pounds English or Irish sausage
24 ounces Guinness beer
1 medium onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Ingredients for mash:
6 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large white onion, diced
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
4 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
½ cup heavy cream

Ingredients for tobacco onions:
3 to 4 liters canola oil as needed for deep frying
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 white onion sliced thin

Method for the bangers and Guinness essence:
Heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan with a lid. Sear the sausage on all sides. Add the beer and onion to pan, turn the heat down to low and braise until sausage is cooked through, about 50 minutes.

(Whilst the sausage is cooking, begin the mash and onions.)

Remove the sausage to a utility platter and let rest. Strain the braising liquid through a chinois and return to the pan. Let reduce by two-thirds to make the sauce, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Method for the mash:
Boil the potatoes and onion until potatoes are tender and drain well. Return the potatoes to the pot and stir in the cheese, butter, and heavy cream. Mash the potatoes by hand, then whip with an electric beater, cover, and keep warm in a warm oven.

Method for the tobacco onions:
Heat the deep fryer to 375 degrees F or as directed by manufacturer for similar foods.

Make the tobacco onions, by combining flour, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Dust onions with mixture and deep fry until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Presentation:
Slice the sausage on the bias. Spoon some mashed potatoes into the center of each serving plate. Place the sausage on the potatoes and spoon some sauce over. Top with tobacco onions

Entrée: Chicken

BAVARIAN BEER ROASTED HERB CHICKEN
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoons Irvine Spices Garlic Pepper Seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh parsley
1 whole 5 or 6 pound chicken, any giblets removed and well rinsed
12 ounces Bavarian wheat beer (such as Allagash White, Sierra Nevada Wheat or Samuel
Adams)

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Combine the garlic pepper seasoning, salt, rosemary, thyme and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Place the chicken onto a a roasting pan. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the beer into the cavity of the chicken and swirl it around to coat the inside. Rub another tablespoon of beer onto the outside surface of the chicken, rubbing it into the skin. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the herb/spice mixture into the inside cavity of each chicken and rub the balance of the mixture over the outside of each chicken. Place the chicken into the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the skin to begin to crisp up. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow the oven temperature to drop to 350 degrees F. Pour the beer into the roasting pan and cover it with a tent of aluminum foil to allow the beer to steam the chicken. Remove the aluminum foil from the chicken and allow it to roast uncovered until fork tender, another 15 to 40 minutes. When cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. Carve into portions and serve.

Dessert: Trifle

RASPBERRY PORTER TRIFLE
WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE & WHIPPED CREAM
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients for raspberry layer:
1 three-ounce package raspberry gelatin
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup boiling water
¼ cup ice water
½ cup Porter

Ingredients for creme Anglaise:
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, or vanilla extract to taste (approximately 3 tablespoons)
¼ cup sugar
4 egg yolks

Ingredients for fruit layer:
1 large can (29-to-32-ounces) fruit cocktail, drained
1 twelve-ounce Sara Lee pound cake, thawed and cut into ¾ inch cubes
2 bananas, sliced and tossed with lemon juice

Ingredients for ganache:
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate pieces OR chocolate squares, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream

Ingredients for topping:
½ cup heavy cream whipped until light and fluffy with an electric beater

Special equipment:
4 sixteen-ounce or larger wine glasses or snifters (note that the idea of a trifle is to see the layers)

Method for the raspberry layer:
Dissolve the gelatin and sugar in boiling water. Add the cold water and porter. Loosely cover with a clean paper towel and set aside at room temperature.

Method for the crème Anglaise:
Pour the milk and heavy cream into a heavy bottomed saucepot and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pot (or add vanilla extract). (If using a vanilla bean, put the vanilla pod in the pot as well.) Add half the sugar to the pot and bring to a simmer (just below a boil). In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks and the rest of the sugar and temper it by adding a small amount of the heated milk mixture to the bowl while whisking constantly (known as a liaison). Now pour the liaison (egg mixture) into the milk pot, stirring constantly. You are only heating it. Do not boil. Do not cook. The idea of a liaison is to incorporate the eggs and avoid making them into scrambled eggs! You want the mixture to begin to thicken so it will coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then remove vanilla pod and discard, and refrigerate until chilled.

Assembly:
Spoon fruit cocktail into each glass as a base layer. Follow with a layer of cubed pound cake, then a layer of sliced bananas. Spoon about 1/3 cup gelatin/porter mixture on top of the fruit and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours until the gelatin is set.

Method for the ganache:
A few minutes before serving, make the ganache. Place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to just under a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a minute or two. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth. If the chocolate is not melting readily, nest the bowl in another bowl of very hot tap water.

Presentation:
Spoon crème Anglaise over the chilled trifle and drizzle ganache over. Spoon whipped cream on top to finish.

Serve immediately.

EPCOT Food and Wine Festival 2008, Orlando, Florida
Thursday thru Saturday, October 16 thru 18, 2008

Thursday, Oct. 16th 2:00 PM Kitchen Conversation
(I’ll be cooking a recipe from Mission: COOK with a tasting for 75 people)
3:30 PM Autographs
5:45 PM Culinary Demonstration
(Demonstrating a recipe for 6 with a tasting for 100 people)
6:30 PM Autographs
Saturday, Oct. 18th 6:30 PM Party for the Senses
(An incredible array of chefs – including “yours truly” – cooking for over 1200 people!)
For reservation information go to http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/ and look under special events

SUN WINE Fest 2009 at Mohegan Sun
West Hartford, Connecticut
Friday & Saturday, January 17 & 18, 2009
Celebrity Chef Dine-Around Charity Gala
Autographs
Culinary Demonstration
For reservation information check out SunWineFest.com